The Midnight Arose

Louigi Verona
Spring of 2006

It was the Basket Turtle who said, "Ummph."

But the Ocean Bear thought that it was uttered by the Reddish Hare and, slapping him lightly, he said, "Shush! You don't want us to be heard, do you?"

"Okay, so I don't," the Reddish Hare whispered, his ears becoming even more red from ire and embarrassment. "And I also don't like being slapped around like that."

The three of them looked up at the pale moon which was beginning to take shape in the sky. The sunset, fiery red, had crossed the horizon minutes ago, ceding more and more space to the approaching night.

The Sleeper Dog howled from a hill far away, and the Basket Turtle said, "It is time."

The three slowly left their shelter, which was an old oak and thick bush. Without a rush, yet not slowly, they moved from stone to tree, from tree to road, from road back into the shadows of the forest. The cool summer wind calmly rustled the leafage, everything was silent and lonely, as if that land, left by the people, was now forgotten even by the Curious God.

The Violet Hamster sniffed the air and stooped into some hole, entering the dark world of an underground maze.

The Sharp Owl opened its left eye, slowly fixed its gaze on an endless gradient of blue in the sky and went back to sleep. It wasn't its time yet.

The Sleeper Dog sang a long sad song once more, as if feeling something strange.

The three were almost invisible, having turned into small dots.

They had a long journey ahead. They went abroad to never come back.

The Sleeper Dog barked and then howled again.

* * *

Kayda, the wizard, tapped the ground with his cane and plodded on. He was attempting to leave Withered Dry for the fourth time and it was just natural to be worried that this time would be no more successful than before.

He adjusted the pattern belt which held his pants, the move being so much a part of him as his skin was. His emotions swung high and low, from ease to anxiety, both exaggerated and somewhat vague.

The forest line obediently followed every curve of the road and, turning back, Kayda saw the Three House Village disappear behind a grassy hill, and then that hill also vanishing at the next turn.

Soon the forest was left behind, and a vast plain opened before him, with a road almost invisible in the high grass, going straight to the horizon. The space was so incredibly immense and gave a feeling of such freedom, that Kayda felt the urge to throw away his cane and his heavy sack, and run until he reaches the end of the world...

He did no such thing.

But he didn't stop either. He went on, steadily, patiently. Dry land eventually turned into sand, and every step was an effort of will. Once or twice his sharp eye caught a glimpse of a Violet Hamster peeping out of the hole, or of an Infertile Fly heavily crossing the sky.

It was an hour before midnight when Kayda looked back at last.

The nights in the south are dark, and he couldn't see the forest or hills of the Withered Dry anymore. Only a blurred spot, suggesting that there is something over there that's not a plain.

Kayda adjusted his belt and continued with his journey.

He was no longer alarmed. He knew he made it.

He left the Withered Dry forever.

* * *

Some minutes later Kayda saw three dots ahead of him. Every step seemed to bring them nearer. About an hour later he arrived to what seemed like a camp. A fire was set, and the Basket Turtle, the Ocean Bear and the Reddish Hare were gathered round it, warming themselves. Only then the wizard felt that it indeed was quite cold.

He greeted the party and asked if he could join them for a while. They agreed and exchanged glances with each other, nodding mysteriously.

"We may miss the Midnight Arose," the Basket Turtle said.

These words puzzled Kayda greatly. "You, of course, mean that you may miss the midnight arise, don't you?"

"The Midnight Arose," the Basket Turtle said solemnly.

"The Midnight Arose," the Reddish Hare repeated and ate a stalk of grass.

"Yes, the midnight arose at...um... midnight," Kayda said carefully. "Actually, it's not midnight yet. Why do you think you will miss it?"

The Ocean Bear laughed and poked the Reddish Hare's side with his finger, "He is totally unaware of what we are talking about, is he not!"

The Reddish Hare winced and his ears became even more red from ire and embarrassment. "I don't like being poked into sides with fat fingers!" he said resentfully.

Kayda stood up, confused. He had always been weird enough himself, but to even try to understand the weirdness of these three was beyond his abilities. He started for the road.

"Wizards should know what the Midnight Arose is," the Basket Turtle said. "Especially if they want to leave."

Kayda froze. "How do you know I'm a wizard?" he asked. "And why do you think I want to leave?"

"I've seen you at Withered Dry."

Kayda should have guessed that these three were from Withered Dry. "Is it really important to know what that Midnight Arose is?"

"It is," the Ocean Bear said.

"It is," the Reddish Hare repeated.

Confused, Kayda sat back in front of the fire and waited while the Basket Turtle decided to talk. "The Midnight Arose is the kind of wind which, once encountered by a traveler, may carry her wherever she likes."

"And? Are you saying that Midnight Arose happens here, in these plains?"

"Any place is appropriate. The wind needs to be called. So it says here in the book," and the Basket Turtle pointed to the Ocean Bear.

With growing amazement Kayda saw that the Ocean Bear's huge round stomach was covered with miniature writings. "Incredible!"

"It is the Book of Winds, chapter 5," the Basket Turtle said. "A must-read manual for any traveler."

"And how can this Midnight Arose be called?"

"Four have to perform a spell dance at midnight."

Kayda looked at them. "But there are only three of you!"

"Yes, exactly," the Reddish Hare said.

As truth began to dawn upon the wizard, and he realized why the strangers were happy to see him wander into their small camp, the Ocean Bear stood up and firmly lifted the Reddish Hare along by pulling him up by his ears.

The Reddish Hare grimaced, and his ears became even more red from ire and embarrassment. "I don't like being pulled up by the ears!" he said.

"It is time to rehearse then," the Basket Turtle said, and Kayda snapped out of his confusion.

"I am not doing any silly dancing!" he said.

"You are not," the Basket Turtle replied, "because this is not a silly dance. I find it quite enjoyable, actually."

The plain and the moon watched four figures move strangely, as if to some silent music. A nonexistent band played a gentle melody, and a nonexistent flute player had problems extracting a lower C from time to time.

"To some we also don't exist," the Basket Turtle said, moving in circles and waving it's tiny head from left to right. "To some we are just part of a made-up story."

"A story probably written out of boredom," the Ocean Bear said, "for you can't possibly write a story about someone like us unless you are very bored."

"We are boredom itself," the Basket Turtle said.

"We are boredom itself," the Reddish Hare agreed.

The nonexistent flute player performed a difficult passage without mistakes, and both the Basket Turtle and the Ocean Bear applauded. The Reddish Hare was busy scratching his left ear, while his right ear got accidentally stuck in the wizard's belt.

Time passed slowly, but inevitably it reached midnight, and dancing suddenly became more then mere rehearsal. Every move was now filled with meaning, like words of a mysterious language.

From somewhere unimaginably far away several pink shaded waves crossed the plain and circled the four dancers, creating a whirlpool. Before Kayda knew it, the Midnight Arose lifted them up into the air.

"We made it!" the Basket Turtle laughed, tumbling.

"And what happens now?" Kayda asked.

"The wind will take you wherever you wish."

"And where shall we go?"

"Each of us goes their own path," the Ocean Bear said.

"We always follow different paths, even when we are walking the same road," the Basket Turtle said.

Suddenly, the Ocean Bear was taken by one of the waves and carried away swiftly, disappearing behind the horizon. The Reddish Hare, in turn, made his decision and vanished.

"And where will you go?" Kayda asked.

"No matter where I end up, I shall never return," the Basket said. "But you'll want to visit Withered Dry one day."

"I don't think so."

"I know you don't."

A pink wave enveloped the Basket Turtle and started carrying it away, but before it vanished, Kayda could hear its words: "Don't be so serious about the words of a turtle, wizard. Turtles aren't as wise as they're believed to be... but we are in shells!"

Kayda closed his eyes and thought of the place he always longed for.

At first nothing happened and for a moment he was afraid that the wind was going to leave him where he was, alone, with months of journey ahead of him, but just then waves of warm air hit his face and he knew he was flying at the speed of thought.

Almost immediately his feet felt ground beneath them and, opening his eyes, Kayda found himself walking a city square on the other side of the planet, his cane and sack in his hands, and the three weird travellers seeming to be nothing but a distant dream...